NEW YORK Singer Madonna and her ex-husband, director Guy Ritchie, have settled a custody dispute over their 16-year-old son Rocco, a court official in New York said on Wednesday.

It was not immediately announced with which parent the teenager would live.

Madonna, 58, and Ritchie, 47, have been in a legal battle over their son since December, when the teenager ignored a court order to fly back from Ritchie's London home to live with his mother in New York.

The "Material Girl" singer, who concluded her worldwide "Rebel Heart" tour in March, and Ritchie, director of 2009 film "Sherlock Holmes," married in 2000. After they divorced in 2008, they agreed that Rocco would live with Madonna.

In March, a New York judge and a British judge both separately urged the former spouses to find an amicable resolution for Rocco's sake.

Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the New York State court system, confirmed lawyer near me the case was officially settled on Wednesday but did not immediately provide further information.

Details of the settlement also were not revealed in online court records. Attorneys for Ritchie did not immediately return calls for comment and a representative for Madonna's lawyers said they do not comment on cases involving children.

Madonna and Ritchie also have an adopted son who was born in Malawi.

Ritchie is now married to British model Jacqui Ainsley, with whom he has three children.

Why Fiat Chrysler May Be Google's First Self-Driving Partner -- The Motley Fool

The first Google self-driving car consumers can buy might turn out to be a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. Reports say FCA and Google are on the verge of a major technology deal. Image source: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Multiple reports are suggesting that Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Cars unit is about to sign a sweeping partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE:FCAU).

The deal, first reported by well-wired Detroit pundit Peter DeLorenzo on his Autoextremist blog last week, and since confirmed in follow-up reports by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, could be announced as soon as this week, say the reports.

What the reports say about the deal: Talks between the two companies about a deal described as an "advanced technical partnership" have been ongoing for several months. Google is also believed to have approached both Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM), but it appears poised to proceed with FCA.

The partnership would begin with the construction of several self-driving prototypes of FCA's new Chrysler Pacifica minivan. But that's just the first phase: Some level of Google technology could begin to appear in production versions of the Pacifica as soon as the fourth quarter of 2016, and the strong hint is that the deal will have several phases and continue for at least a few years.

Why would Google chose Fiat Chrysler?

Google Cars chief John Krafcik, an auto-industry veteran, has said repeatedly that Google doesn't want to get into the (expensive, low-profit-margin) business of manufacturing cars. Instead, it will look for opportunities to supply its self-driving technology to established automakers.

But why choose Fiat Chrysler, perhaps the least technically advanced of the major automakers? I suspect that's actually the reason: Ford and GM (and most of their European and Japanese rivals) have fairly advanced self-driving research-and-development programs of their own. They don't need Google -- and that means they don't need to agree to Google's terms.

Why might they balk? It's a safe bet that those terms include control of (or at least complete access to) the extensive data harvested by the self-driving systems. As with cell phones, the data collected by self-driving cars is expected to visit this site be quite valuable for (among other things) what it reveals about individuals' habits and preferences.

(That may sound sinister, but it's more likely to be about advertising opportunities: If your car tells Google that you favor a particular chain of coffee shops, Google [and the coffee-shop company] might offer you a coupon from time to time, or automatically point you to the company's nearest shop when you're in an unfamiliar area.)

Automakers are wary of the example set in the smartphone industry, where Google's control of the Android operating system has meant it's able to capture the bulk of profits associated with the sale and use of Android smartphones. No automaker wants to be reduced to an even-lower-margin commodity maker of hardware if it can avoid it -- and it's a safe bet that GM and Ford, run by executives who are well aware of the threat of "disruption" from Silicon Valley, were unwilling to turn over control of their cars' user experiences and data to Google.

Why Fiat Chrysler would embrace Google

FCA is in a much weaker position than Ford or GM. Right now, the company's finances and resources are stretched paper-thin while it implements CEO Sergio Marchionne's aggressive five-year plan -- a plan that does not call for significant investments in self-driving visit their website technology (or electric cars, for that matter).

For Marchionne and his team, a deal with Google could represent a quick way to put FCA in the forefront of self-driving innovation without having to spend billions of dollars on research and development. As he scrambles to keep pace with much more financially secure rivals, that potential might well make any concerns about data control seem trivial.

The rate of divorces has increased drastically in recent years, not just in Australia but in many parts of the world. This is due to many reasons but most will agree that the change to no-fault divorces has increased the rate of divorce. Whereas years ago, couples had to prove the their spouse was "unfit" or did something wrong, with a no-fault divorce couples can obtain a divorce by merely stating they no longer wish to be married. Regardless of the reason a couple chooses to get a divorce, it's in their best interest to find a good divorce lawyer.

Australia has very clear and relatively easy-to-satisfy divorce laws. The only requirements are that you be domiciled in Australia, be an Australian citizen or an Australian resident for at least 12 months. If you meet these requirements, and have been separated from your spouse for at least 12 months, you can file for a divorce in Australia. In certain cases, the spouses are not required to attend their court hearing. One of these situations is if there are no children under the age of 18. If you do have children under the age of 18, and both you and your spouse sign a joint divorce application, you will not need to make a court appearance unless the court waives this requirement for some reason.

In spite of how easy it is to obtain a divorce in Australia, it will still be beneficial for you to have a divorce lawyer, particularly if minor children and/or property are involved. A good divorce lawyer can help you with separation, divorce, property settlement, child custody, maintenance and defacto property settlement. Occasionally, a couple will choose to handle a divorce themselves without the assistance of a divorce lawyer. This is not recommended unless there are no children or assets and both spouses are in full agreement of the simplicity of the divorce. In all other cases, a divorce lawyer is highly recommended to help stand up for your rights regarding the many issues involving family law and divorce.

Australia has made every effort to make divorce as easy, inexpensive and pain free as possible for the couple by requiring the using of arbitration in divorce cases. The private arbitration system for divorces was implemented by the federal Attorney-General of Australia to help eliminate the many disputes brought on by divorce. Divorce lawyers authorized by the courts will handle the arbitration. The couples seeking the divorce can choose their own divorce lawyer from the court-appointed list. The main purpose of the arbitration is to help resolve money issues. Arbitrators, however, have no authority to rule on disputes involving child custody.

Many people confuse arbitration with mediation or believe they are the same thing when they are actually quite different. A good divorce lawyer can explain the divorce an assist you with your needs during your divorce proceedings. A mediator cannot make a decision for or against a wife or husband but is there to listen to both sides and offer suggestions on how they can both compromise to come to an agreeable solution. If the couple cannot come to an agreement, the job of the mediator is over and an arbitrator is brought into the case. In some cases, however, the mediator is asked to come to a decision for the couple, although this is not recommended because it's often difficult for a mediator to suddenly switch roles and become an arbitrator.

Arbitrators are divorce lawyers set by the court and can set their own fees, which can often be quite expensive. Couples have the choice of choosing their own arbitrator if they're not happy with the one chosen by the court. A divorce can be a small matter between two individuals but can also be a huge court case involving a couple, their children and jointly owned property. In such a case, you will want a good divorce lawyer. You will want to make sure you have a lawyer that is experienced enough to help you in your divorce. Because there are many circumstances in divorces, you may need a checklist of questions for your divorce lawyer to help ensure you are getting the best possible divorce lawyer for your needs, some of which may include:

1. How many divorces have they handled? You do not want a divorce lawyer with little or no experience in divorces. Unless they've actually handled a divorce, they're not going to know what to expect or if there courts lean towards any certain trends. 2. What is their specialty in divorces? Although some divorces may be simple, some involve property settlements, custody battles, child support, maintenance, etc. You'll need to know your divorce lawyer has experience that will meet your needs. 3. What kind of reputation do they have in divorce cases? You may notice in divorces of wealthy couples, women seeking large settlements often seek the same divorce lawyer or couples seeking custody will use divorce lawyers that are successful in these issues. Find out what your divorce lawyer's success rate is. 4. What are the costs? The cost of divorce can be as low as hundreds (doing it yourself) and as high as thousands of dollars. Have your divorce lawyer explain what the expenses will be. Find out if there are any expenses that can be lessened or eliminated without hurting your case. 5. How many arbitrations have they been involved in? If they are a court-appointed arbitrator, as is customary in Australia divorce cases, they've probably been in arbitrations before. Find out how many and how they resulted. 6. What type of arbitrations has your divorce lawyer been involved in? If you suspect your divorce is going to become a nasty fight for custody, you want a divorce lawyer that's experienced and successful in child custody cases. 7. What does your divorce lawyer hope to accomplish in your divorce? Have him explain the most and least he hopes to get for you. Don't be afraid to compare divorce lawyers if you don't feel the first one you see can help you. 8. If asked, would your divorce lawyer be willing to work as an arbitrator and mediator? The answer you get from your lawyer may determine if he's the right divorce lawyer for you. Lawyers compared is a handy online guide for individuals seeking the services of a lawyer in Australia. This online guide covers such areas as divorce lawyers, family lawyers, commercial lawyers and more.